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Kal
The Kal are the warrior caste of Eternal Karthack. They make up the entirety of her professional soldiery, though the Shul caste may also be registered in militia and the Kals are also charged with training them when they are. The Kals also lead themselves, and answer to none except for their direct military commander, and the generals can be commanded only by the Zophkaga or Bocanadessia herself. Kals in War The Kals, being a military class, are expected to fight in war. They also train the Shulka militias, who form the backbone of the Empire's infantry forces. Kals prefer to fight mounted, either on horses or Haza, though "Hazakals" are looked down upon by their horse-riding brethren. Kals are archers first and foremost, favoring a heavy composite bow with which they train incessently. They are skilled archers and excellent horsemen. In melee, they fight with war-picks, tulwars, tabarzin axes, and spears. Because Kals are uniquely warriors, whereas Voscan Knights are expected to perform some other duty in peacetime (except for the Knight Crofters) the Kals are generally better warriors than the average Knight. Social Responsibilities Kals are warriors first and foremost, but because of Dessianism's religious impetus towards artistic culture, Kals are expected to also pursue an artform of some variety or another. Kal'Ceska is a poet and a philosopher, for example. Kals who cannot produce things of artistic value are considered second-rate, no matter how fierce they may be in battle. Kal Gender Roles There are female Kals, and they are expected (and indeed required) to be martially capable individuals. However, a Kal woman is not allowed to go to war once she is married (at that point her duty is to protect her family while her husband is away) and is not allowed to earn honor and glory for herself after she is given a husband. Kal women are thus very brave and ambitious in their youths, as their achievements largely dictate the sort of husbands they may be assigned. Male Kals must continue fighting for their entire lives. Masks The Kals wear masks bearing different expressions and motifs depending on their rank, the circumstances of their commission, who trained them, what they've accomplished, etc. The whole system is very complicated, generally speaking you recognize a Kal by his mask, not by his face. Even when not wearing them, they keep them somewhere visible on their person as a symbol of office. For a Kal to be seen without his mask is considered skulduggerous. Kal'Ceska's mask, for example, is made of Orichalcum, symbolizing that he is of a very high rank. It is bearded, symbolizing that he is a man. The exact style suggests his place of origin, Kar Druss, meaning he learned his craft there. The fact that the beard is Silver means that he is married. The gaunt cheeks imply that he is a stoic and austere warrior, known for sobriety and dignity. The lowered brow of the mask and the two curved lines (stylized facial weathering from windburning) suggest he is a cavalryman. The mouth being closed means he answers only to the God-King. There's a lot of variables here. Generally speaking, masks are like non-hereditary heraldry to Kals. Red Kals In Karthack it is known that certain knights from the West wear masks that are enameled red, instead of the more traditional gold or silver. The Red Kals are a hereditary order (rare, among Karthacks) who protect the priestesses of the Moon their pilgrimages through the Karthakasel Divide, where they minister to a series of small towns, villages and holdfasts in the rough mountains. These towns are truly remote, and many of their peoples are not even fully aware that they are a part of an Empire called Karthack--but they pay their taxes as best they can, and are always excited to meet the priestesses, who bring news from the outside world, and the benedictions of their God, whose song cannot be heard clearly that high up in the black mountains. Recently, however, pilgrims have begun to disappear on that lonely road, along with their bodyguards. Initially, it was feared that bandits may have been responsible, but local authorities are certain this is not the case — there is nothing transported through those mountain passes worth stealing. Though the problem is only regional, an increase in security is currently being planned to investigate the small, isolated towns and the surrounding countryside, in the hopes of discovering the truth behind these kidnappings.